Explain with a typical research topic in mind. What is meant by literature review in research study

A literature review in a research study is a comprehensive survey of scholarly articles, books, dissertations, conference proceedings, and other resources that are relevant to a particular issue, area of research, or theory. The purpose of a literature review is to provide a description, summary, and critical evaluation of these works in relation to the research problem being investigated.

Here is a step-by-step explanation using a typical research topic, "The Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture."

1. Identify a Research Topic: You have chosen "The Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture" as your research topic.

2. Search for Relevant Literature: Use academic databases like JSTOR, Google Scholar, and your university's library catalog to find articles, books, and other materials related to your topic. You might search for terms like "climate change," "agriculture," "impact of climate change on agriculture," etc.

3. Evaluate and Select Sources: Not all sources you find will be relevant or reliable. Evaluate each source for its credibility (consider the author's credentials and the source's reputation) and relevance to your research topic. Select the most significant sources to include in your review.

4. Read and Analyze Selected Sources: Read each source carefully and critically. Take notes on the author's thesis, methodology, main points, and conclusions. Consider how each source contributes to your understanding of your research topic.

5. Organize and Write the Literature Review: Organize the selected sources into categories that make sense for your research topic. For example, you might categorize sources by the specific impact they discuss (e.g., impact on crop yields, impact on soil quality, etc.) or by the methodology they use. Then, write a literature review that summarizes and synthesizes the important points from these sources. Discuss how each source relates to your research topic and to each other.

6. Interpret the Findings: In this step, you interpret the findings of the literature you reviewed. You might discuss patterns, themes, or trends that emerged across the sources. You might also identify gaps in the existing literature that your research could fill.

7. Reference Your Sources: Finally, make sure to properly cite all the sources you used in your literature review. This gives credit to the original authors and allows your readers to follow up on your research.

Remember, a literature review is not just a summary of sources. It should provide a critical analysis of the literature and demonstrate your familiarity with the research in your field.